What the heart wants
by nightchild78
Summary: Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why? (A series of ten drabbles inspired by badly knitted's work "Strange Morning". Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for "Children of Earth".
1. Part 1 - The awaking

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 1 – The awaking  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the first part of a series of drabbles written by courtesy of the lovely badly_knitted who inspired me with her drabble "_Strange morning_". Thank you for the fantastic job you do at betaing my work.

TW TW TW TW TW

Jack slowly woke up at the birdsong.

Feeling the soft warmth of daylight caressing his face, he jolted to full awareness but forced himself to lie still.

Something was wrong.

There was no daylight in the hellhole where he'd been staying lately, drowning his pain and sorrow in cheap alcohol. Neither light nor hope.

He peered at the bright room, searching for any clue as to how he had ended up here.

Hearing a soft snore coming from behind him, he carefully rolled over and felt his heart sink at the sight of the man peacefully asleep beside him.

"Ianto?"

_To be continued_


	2. Part 2 - Alive

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 2 – Alive  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the second part of the series, following _The Awaking_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.  
A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

TW TW TW TW TW

Ianto jerked awake and cast a bewildered look around him.

"Jack? Where… where are we?"

Any further questions died on his lips at the sight of the tears trickling down Jack's distraught face.

"Jack?"

With no warning Jack threw himself into Ianto's arms, literally pinning him onto the mattress.

"Jack," Ianto groaned breathlessly.

"You're alive," choked Jack between two heartrending sobs. "_Alive_."

Ianto tentatively returned the embrace and pressed his cheek against Jack's hair.

"I… died?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Jack tightened his grip on him and this time the words came loud and clear.

"You are alive."

_To be continued_


	3. Part 3 - Superimposed memories

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 3 – Superimposed memories  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the third part of the series, following _The Awaking_ and _Alive_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts. **Happy New Year everybody!**

TW TW TW TW TW

Huddled together, they lost track of time, relishing the moment until Jack finally broke the spell.

"It makes no sense. Every time I try to recall, I still see you dying in my arms, but at the same time I can see myself standing alone in front of that thing."

Ianto laced their fingers together and absently stroked Jack's knuckles.

"All I remember is the vague feeling of someone sneaking behind me after you left, then… nothing."

Jack sat up, bringing Ianto with him.

"So, apparently someone kidnapped us. Okay. But who?"

Ianto glanced around thoughtfully.

"Even more importantly, why?"

_To be continued_


	4. Part 4 - What matters

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 4 – What matters  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the fourth part of the series, following _The Awaking,_ _Alive_ and _Superimposed Memories_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

TW TW TW TW TW

Checking the rest of the two-roomed house didn't take long. Everything was clean, brand new and frustratingly impersonal. No guns, no means of communication, only closets full of linen and cupboards with enough food for weeks.

"Ready to check the outside?" asked Jack.

Ianto nodded and grabbed the handle.

"Wait," Jack stopped him. "We don't know what lies ahead and… There's something I need you to know... Something that matters."

He took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Ianto gaped for a moment, stunned, then his features softened and he lovingly smiled at the other man.

"I love you, too."

_To be continued_


	5. Part 5 - Paradise

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 5 – Paradise  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the fifth part of the series, following _What matters_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.  
A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

TW TW TW TW TW

What they discovered outside was like nothing they'd expected. The house stood on what looked like a deserted paradise island, facing a golden sandy beach beside a turquoise sea and surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

"Maybe you finally died and we are in heaven," whispered Ianto in awe.

"If I did, then I'd gladly spend the rest of my eternity here, with you."

"Be careful, Jack. You're getting sentimental," chuckled Ianto.

Leaning closer, he grabbed Jack by the neck and gave him a searing kiss.

"Jeez, you're worse than rabbits."

The gruff voice made them spin around in disbelief.

"Owen?"

_To be continued_


	6. Part 6 - Reunion

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 6 – Reunion  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack, Owen/Tosh  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the sixth part of the series, following _Paradise_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.  
A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

TW TW TW TW TW

They stared in shock at the man standing a few feet away, then slowly turned their gaze to the woman by his side.

"Tosh?" whispered Jack incredulously.

She tentatively waved and smiled.

"Oh, God," croaked Ianto.

As realization finally dawned on them, they broke into a run and threw themselves into their friends' arms, the four of them laughing and crying uncontrollably.

Even once they'd eventually collapsed on the sand in a messy heap, they stayed huddled together, refusing to let go for fear of breaking the spell.

If this was a dream, they just wished it would last forever.

_To be continued._


	7. Part 7 - Connecting the dots

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 7 – Connecting the dots  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack, Owen/Tosh  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the seventh part of the series, following _Reunion_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

* * *

**To TJ Fickel:** Thank you. This is somehow a sort of exercise in style; as I usually suffer from logorrhoea. The idea is to wrap a plot in ten drabbles (so exactly 1.000 words), which is a really frustrating challenge for me. ;D

**To isa:** Thank you. I'm glad you rank me among the good writers. :D

* * *

TW TW TW TW TW

Once their emotions had settled, pragmatism regained the upper hand and they undertook to clear things up.

The "Paradise" theory was quickly dismissed, since Owen was obviously still dead as could be. Like Ianto, all he remembered was a furtive presence behind him just before the meltdown, then waking up by Tosh's side in a house similar to theirs on the other side of the island.

Tosh clearly remembered dying in Jack's arms, but against all expectations her belly showed no sign of scarring from her gunshot wound.

Jack sighed. The more they found out, the less it made sense.

_To be continued_


	8. Part 8 - Not the Doctor anyway

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 8 – Not the Doctor anyway  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack, Owen/Tosh  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the eighth part of the series, following _Connecting the dots_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

For your information, tetrodotoxin, frequently abbreviated as TTX, is the potent neurotoxin carried among others by puffer fish. I remembered they used it to fake a death in the episode of The Pretender _Not even a mouse_, so I thought I could reuse it for my purpose.

TW TW TW TW TW

According to Jack, the most plausible theory was that the syringe used by Tosh to ease the pain had been tampered with, a subtle cocktail of tetrodotoxin and nanogenes, allowing their kidnapper to fake her death then steal her 'corpse' from the freezer.

"Any idea about their identity?" asked Ianto.

"No," sighed Jack. "But I guess we can already rule out the Doctor. He'd _never_ take the risk of creating a paradox."

"At least, not for me," he added, not without some bitterness.

A bitterness soon forgotten, though, as Ianto took his hand without a word, offering his silent support.

_To be continued_


	9. Part 9 - The note

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 9 – The note  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the last part but one of the series, following _Not the Doctor anyway_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

Here is the revelation of who is behind the "kidnapping". Hope you'll enjoy. :D

TW TW TW TW TW

"Hey!" called Tosh, waving the handwritten note she'd found, concealed under the bed. "I think I've got something."

The three men joined her and started to read. 

"_Jack, _

_Despite the unorthodox method, I hope you like my little present. _

_Guess this makes us even, now. _

_By the way, I took the precaution of borrowing your manipulator. Hope you don't mind. _

_JH_

_PS. Fresh supplies and housekeeping are once a week._

_And Eye Candy is cute when he's out._"

Owen looked up at Jack, bemused. "Seriously. Hart?"

Jack merely shrugged with a half-smile.

"That guy will never cease to amaze me."

_To be continued_


	10. Part 10 - The debt

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 10 – The debt  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, John Hart.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack, Owen/Tosh  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** This is the last part of the series, following _The note_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

A huge thank you to those who have reviewed my work or added it to their favorites list and story alerts.

* * *

**To sandysan2013 and DottyWho:** Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D

* * *

TW TW TW TW TW

John Hart stared thoughtfully into the bottom of his glass.

Good deeds weren't his thing, but he owed Jack. And though John might have plenty of faults, he always paid his debts.

He'd done his best, carefully managing to avoid creating paradoxes then thoroughly researching a location for their haven of peace.

Of course, this wasn't perfect. Unlike his friends, Jack was still immortal and, at some point, John knew he would have to come back and pick up the pieces. But for now, at least, he had given Jack a semblance of respite.

And that was all that counted.

_End._


	11. Part 11 (bonus) - Monster

**Series: **What the heart wants…  
**Title: **Part 11 – Monster  
**Summary: **Jack wakes up in an unexpected place with unexpected company. How did he end up there? And why?  
**Rating: **K+  
**Categories: **Torchwood  
**Characters: **Jack Harkness,Ianto Jones.  
**Pairing:** Ianto/Jack  
**Genres: **Romance/Mystery.  
**Warnings: **None  
**Spoilers:** Set after season 3. Fix-it fic for _Children of Earth_.

**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes:** As promised, a bonus chapter in the series set after _The debt_. Thank you to badly_knitted for inspiring me and for her unwavering support and help.

* * *

Jack sullenly stared at his reflection in the mirror.

Tosh and Owen had left for the night and, while Ianto was clearing away the dishes, he had seized the opportunity to have a moment alone and retreated to the bathroom.

"You were right. I'm a monster," he whispered as Ianto appeared behind him.

"Jack..."

Jack shook his head and lowered his eyes.

"What kind of man would kill his own grandson, Ianto?"

A strong arm circled his torso and gently pulled him against Ianto's chest as their gazes locked in the mirror.

"A good man who was facing impossible choices."


End file.
